Shivika FF: Love means letting go UPDT. CH 11- PG 24 /20-07 - Page 15

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Read both the last 2 updates...

Chapter Eleven

The diamond solitaire sparkled against the midnight blue velvet and Shivaay studied the ring with a smile on his face. Another day and he would profess his undying love for this wonderful woman, another day and he would ask Annika to marry him, another day and she would wear the ring that would mark her as his.

Shivaay had it all planned. The following day was his birthday and there was a huge lavish party to be held at his place-The Oberoi Mansion. Shivaay planned to go down on his knees and propose to her in front of his entire family, all the guests and of course the media. It was totally out of character for him as he was a very private person by nature. But eight years ago, Annika had to face a public humiliation when he couldn't reciprocate her feelings. He had indeed rejected her publicly. It hadn't been his intent but it had been the result and now it was only fair that he lay his heart down at her feet in front of the whole world so that the world knew that this was the woman who made Shivaay Singh Oberoi fall irrevocably in love, that this was the woman who was Shivaay Singh Oberoi's world.

"Shivaay, have you thought this through?" his mother asked, looking up from her diary as she sat with the phone cross checking the arrangements for the party. Dismissing the party planner, she kept her book down and gave him all her attention.

"I mean, shouldn't you confess your feelings in private and see if they are reciprocated. If she doesn't love you, it will be very humiliating. The media will have a field day and from what you have told me, I don't think Annika is the type of a girl who will like the to be under the glare of cameras"

Shivaay closed the box that held the engagement ring and pocketed it. Ever since he had realized that he loved Annika, he wanted to make her his own and he had never more sure of anything in life. He knew that he wanted to tie her down to him in every way possible and asking her to marry him was the first step to achieving that.

"Mom, I have a feeling that she still loves me." Said Shivaay dreamily. "She paid a heavy price of loving me in college. She became a public spectacle and yet she never held it against me. She wore her heart on her sleeve and took the bruises with a smile. I want her to know that from now on, my heart would be on the sleeve too, as far as she is concerned."

With that he bid her a quick goodnight and proceeded to his room feeling his mother's worried eyes boring into his back.

**

Annika cut the engine and looked at the watch, it was 6.15 pm. Grabbing her handbag and her phone from the back seat, she turned to Om.

"I'll check if the address is right and then get you out, okay?" she said hurriedly

Om smiled in agreement.

"Take Ansh will you. This place looks secluded." He looked at Ansh who was seated in the backseat busy playing candy crush on Om's phone. "Beta, go with Mumma."

Ansh didn't need telling twice and Annika's heart melted at how protective her son was. Though both of them pampered Ansh and tried to give him a normal childhood, Om's disability had made him far more mature for a child of his age. He not only helped Om out with his work, when he was home but he looked after Annika as well. It was habitual for Ansh to bring Om's food when Annika was not around, hand him art supplies, make sure that his crutches and his wheelchair was nearby, help him put his shoes on and more. He became the eight year old that he was when Annika was around to take care of Om but there were times when he laid the plates and served food when Annika had a long tiring day. His papa had instructed him about accompanying his mom and running for help when there was danger at the age of five and that was one responsibility that Ansh took seriously.

Ansh slipped his fingers in Annika's hand and both of them managed to find the place where the art event would be held the next day. They then walked back to the car and helped Om to his wheel chair and the three of them made their way to the room they had rented to display Om's paintings.

Unlocking the door, Annika coughed as the dusty smell hit her nostrils. When she managed to find the switch and turn on the lights, she gasped. Their agent had informed them that the room was neat and tidy and all they had to do was set up their work but the state of the room was far from neat. There were boxes laden with so much dust that one could draw paintings with fingernails. There were cobwebs, broken lamps, piles of old books and newspapers, rags and what not.

"I will kill Bakshi" said Om, flabbergasted. Bakshi was their agent.

"Tomorrow is the event Om. We don't have the another moment to waste on Bakshi. "Said Annika looking at the surroundings. She placed the car keys and her hand bag on a chair, pinned up her hair and tied her duppata around her. Taking her cell phone, she asked Choksiji who lived nearby for help. He was given the task of bringing a mop, a bucket, a broom and other things required to clean the place.

Picking a large box, Annika began piling it with all the trash. Ansh too followed suit. Om moved as many boxes that were in his reach. Choksiji made it when all the boxes were almost piled towards the door. He handed Annika the items and went to throw out the trash. Then they all proceeded to sweep the floor, dust the cobweb off walls. Annika had called Rudra as well who came in with paint cans along with two helpers. The old wall paper was peeled off the walls which were then white washed and painted the best they could. Once that was done, the floor was washed clean.

When the room was presentable and the paints dried, they had all gotten the paintings from the car and proceeded to hang them on the walls while some were set up on wooden easels in the middle of the room. While the rest were busy hanging curtains over windows, Annika checked her watch.

It was 12 am. Shivaay's birthday.

Omkara signalled her telling her to go. Annika washed her hands and straightened her salwar the best she could. She checked herself in the mirror and renewed her make up. She thanked everyone and told them she had an errand to run knowing they would have left by the time she was back.

"You should leave your hair loose said a voice from behind and she turned around to see Omkara looking at her with a smile on his face." Annika wordlessly took off the clip that held her hair together and let them fall loosely. Brushing them, she parted them sideways and looked at him, laughing when he gave a thumbs up. Grabbing her handbag she made her way towards the car hating her wayward heart that had suddenly started doing a happy dance at the prospect of meeting its owner.

**

The constant beeping of the phone as his inbox began to get flooded with birthday wishes irked Shivaay who was trying to work. His family usually wished him in the morning and so there was no disturbance from that end. When he and Tia were together, she always threw a midnight bash and it seemed too rude to tell her that he hated it.

Lavish parties had never been his thing.

As he went to switch his phone on silent mode, he was pleasantly surprised when he saw Annika's call flash on screen. Smiling happily, he pressed the answer button and held the phone to his ear.

"I'm waiting outside your house and its freezing. And before you ask, I'm not coming up so you need to come out"

Shivaay sprung to his feet so fast that he was lucky he didn't sprain anything. Checking his appearance in the mirror, he ran down the stairs, his heart filled to the brim with immense happiness.

As he walked past the security asking them to open the huge wrought iron gates, he saw her. Standing on the opposite side of the road, leaning against the bonnet of her car, under the golden glare of the streetlamp, hair left loose, Annika was a sight to behold. He walked lazily towards her, drinking her in and as she met his gaze, she waved out and gave him a bright smile.

He could have sworn, his heart stopped.

"Hi." He said breathlessly, mentally cursing himself for sounding like an over excited teenager.

"Happy birthday"she said wrapping her arms around his neck. He held her, stopping her from pulling apart and inhaled sharply. She smelled of paint and soap and yet there was the faint flowery scent that unfailingly wrecked a havoc to his senses. She firmly broke the hug that was too short for his liking.

"Thank you" he said studying her under the lamp light. She looked tired and he hated that she had to work so hard. Her Salwar was crumpled and smudged and also a little damp at places. It was muddy as well, he observed and wanted to ask her what she had been doing to get herself in that state.

But before he could ask that, she thrust a box in his hands.

Raising an eyebrow, he opened the box, his attention on her excited face as she looked at his for reactions. The box held a pair of gold cufflinks which were beautiful, more so because they were by her.

"Beautiful" he said but he wasn't talking about her gift.

"You like it?" she asked excitedly

"How could I not?" he questioned in return "I just wish you hadn't spent so much."

"Well certain emotions are priceless and if we don't even spend to make them memorable, what is the point?" she asked tilting her head.

He was looking at her, unaware of the love pouring out of his eyes. She lowered her eyes, distinctly uncomfortable. She opened the door of her car and removed a small cake which was the size of a doughnut.

"I'm not a great baker so I made a small cake so you wouldn't be stuck with a big tasteless cake." She said, lighting a candle and shielding it with her palm.

Shivaay tried to swallow past the lump in his throat as her gesture made him emotional. Wordlessly, he cut the cake and fed her a piece using his thumb to brush off a crumb that stuck to her plump lips. It was an intimate gesture but Annika was so stuck in a happy space that she didn't even notice.

As the cold wind picked up, both of them shuddered. Shivaay asked her to come over but she refused. Instead, she took out disposable cups and poured hot coffee from a flask and both of them sat in the lawn, eating the cake and sipping hot coffee.

Shivaay would have happily spent forever on that bench with her beside him but their party was broken with the ringing of her cellphone which was placed between them. As he glanced down at the phone, he saw an image of a handsome man with long hair, flash on the screen that said, Omkara calling.

He watched Annika exclaim at the time as she picked the phone.

"Om, I'm fine. I'm just leaving... see you in fifteen"

Shivaay felt a twinge of jealousy in his heart. Who was this Om whom she was meeting up with at this time of the night? But he dismissed off his insecurities. Annika was a pure soul and whoever she was meeting up with, he was sure she had a good reason.

"Shivaay, I have to leave. But before I go, I want you to know that there is something I have kept hidden from you. Something that will change everything. But I don't want to tell you about it today. I will tell you after your birthday is done, okay?"

Shivaay looked in her warm brown eyes and he felt his heart do a back flip. He knew what she wanted to confess. Didn't he want to confess the same? Confess the fact that he loved her to the point of no return. But he would be confessing his feelings first, he decided as he watched her get inside the car and drive away.

As he made his way to his house, his steps felt oddly light. He remembered all the past birthdays that were spent in lavish parties, expensive gifts, food and alcohol. And yet, this simple coffee and the pocket sized cake had more love in them than a thousand meaningless parties.

**

When Annika reached the art gallery, she found Om waiting for her, in his wheelchair, by the roadside. Ansh was fast asleep in his arms and Annika felt a rush of guilt at her thoughtlessness. Om informed her that the gallery was locked and that Rudra helped them out before he went clubbing. Annika got them in the car and drove home.

By the time they stepped into their apartment, it was 3 am. Omkara put Ansh to bed while Annika had a quick shower. She then put the plastic chair in the bathroom and helped Om into it so that he could have a bath as well. Annika was putting some things that were strewn around at their place when Om called out. She then helped him in his wheel chair. She arranged the covers of his bed and helped him into it.

"So how was it with Shivaay?" he asked, towelling his hair dry "Did you tell him about Ansh?"

"There are 365 days in a year to tell that man that he is a father of an eight year old and you think I will pick his birthday?" she asked incredulously.

"Point". Omkara replied watching her apply moisturizer to her hands

"So when do you plan on telling him? he asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Right after his birthday. I kinda gave him a hint that I had something on my mind." Annika replied screwing the bottle of moisturizer and placing it on the dresser

"Hmmm"

"Do you think Shivaay will grow to love Ansh as much as we do?" she asked him uncertainly.

"He will, Annika. It is practically impossible to know Ansh and not love him. Shivaay is not a bad guy. Eight years ago, he might have been immature but he didn't shy away from his responsibilities and I doubt if he will shy from them now."

"Eight years ago, I let him go. If only I hadn't, then perhaps Shivaay wouldn't have to be introduced to his son like an absolute stranger." Annika said dejectedly turning off the bedside lamp.

Om switched it on.

"Annika you tried hard to inform him after Ansh was born but Tia always came in the way. You couldn't have married him knowing he loved someone else. Love means letting go. It would be selfish to keep them tied to you.. It would be unbearable when duty binds you to someone and you have to watch all the love and respect die in their eyes. There is something worse than being stuck in a loveless marriage and that is a marriage in which there is love but on one side only".

With that he switched off the lamp and Annika was left mulling over her thoughts in darkness. Om was right, every word that left his mouth was nothing but truth.

And yet, Annika knew that Omkara wasn't talking about Shivaay when he said those words

He was talking about Gauri.

______________________________

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Wow loved the update so much.
Let's see how Shivaya takes this news?
Continue soon.

Amazing update dear!!!!

Fantastic update
Here Shivay is ready to confess his love and there Anika is planning to tell Ansh' truth to him
I hope Shivay takes everything positively
Eagerly waiting for next update
Please update soon

That was just lovely

Looks like a lot is abut to happen ... Shivaay to confess and Anika to tell him the truth

A little terrifying, but exciting

I just hope Shivaay can keep it together, I'm a little scared for him too

Anyways, waiting for he next part

Loads of Love,
- Sims 🤗